


Learning that love is sometimes the best thing for you

by DisneyBroadway123



Category: Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Gay male characters, LGBTQ Character of Color, Lesbian Character, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-12-14 04:31:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11775552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyBroadway123/pseuds/DisneyBroadway123
Summary: What if Grantaire had an older twin sister, and her main goal was to get her brother together with the love of his life. She has a best friend that she has been in love with since forever practically but she's afraid of what her best friend might think if she's gay. The answer might just surprise her and change her life for the better. A Les Miserables  High School AU told from Amabelle  point of views on life, friendship and most importantly love.





	1. Getting the four biggest idiots to discuss their feelings...

_My name is Amabelle, it's the french word for lovable. Which in my opinion is kind of a cheap shot since aside from my brother and friends that I have in the ABC I hardly feel loved in the slightest. My dad left me and my brother when we both came out as gay at twelve years of age. My brother fell in love with his best friend Enjorlas when he first met him at the age of eleven. They actually met in a rather funny way, my brother was running away from our old school principal when he got caught making graffiti on the school walls he was running so fast he ran smack into Enjorlas who was doing work for the library and returning books. My brother texted me that he had just met a literal angel after there first interaction. I met the girl that I love named Lidia when I was five and she moved next door to my house. We have been best friends practically ever since. I fell for her when I was ten almost eleven years old when she decided to throw me a birthday party as a surprise._

_Lidia was the most beautiful thing on the face of the universe in my eyes, nothing compared to her. She has beautiful brown long hair that she ties back daily with adorable ribbons or in winter wears an adorable hot pink beanie. She has an obsession with sundresses and skirts. Even in winter time she wears leggings underneath her skirts and long sleeved shirts. She wears these adorable hot pink glasses that she picked out and loves to listen to musical theater as well and joins me in listening to some especially Phantom Of The Opera that's her all time favorite one. We saw that one as a group for my fifteenth birthday and all of my friends loved it a whole lot, we also saw Fun Home though that one was Grantiare's choice and got a lot more mixed reviews from our group, I really loved it though._

_Throughout my entire life I have never found men to be attractive. I mean sure most of my friends are men but I have never had feelings for any of them. But, when I realized my feelings for Lidia it was like every little thing she did suddenly became heightened. Holding my hand, I blushed like a manic every single time. Getting super close even worse blushing, getting caught playing a romantic song on the piano that makes me think of her, dear god I'm practically a tomato. She's just the sweetest thing on the face of the planet, every morning she has a good morning text and a jet tea waiting for me while we walk to school together with my brother once that starts, but right now it's summer. Every class if we have it together she is right there sitting by me and making sure I don't get too overwhelmed. But she's also tough as nails and is head of the Karate club when she's not with our ABC meetings at a local cafe._

_The ABC is our friend group's little club with everyone in it is LGBTQ or Queer in some way, shape, or form. Our leader is Enjorlas and I'm the co leader of it and the captain of the track team during my spare time. I am at the head of my grade with Enjorlas right behind me but sometimes he gets ahead of me and we have our own competitions to see who will come out on top at the end of the year. If I had to have a best guy friend besides my brother it would be our own Apollo as my brother lovingly teases him because he looks like a god. Honestly I'm surprised my brother isn't dead from some of the glares Enjorlas has given him for either his cynical point of view or the nickname._

_I can tell that Enjorlas feels the same way for my brother which is why I am making it my goal by the end of the month to get those two together wether the world promotes it or not. I believe that you have three great ones in your entire life, and I know that my brother's first will be our golden haired leader and that Enjorlas's first will be my cynical yet lovable brother. I will get those two together if it kills me because I am sick and damn tired of two way pinning at one o' clock in the morning when I'm trying to sleep. They just need a little shove in order to get together and I think I know just the thing to do that. I can lock them in my room the next time Enjorlas comes over because Grantiare  does our artwork for the posters and signs for our group during the rally's around town. It's perfect!! My brother will be upset with me at first but once he finds out that Enj feels the exact same way that he does everything will melt together perfectly._

I woke up to the sound of my princess bride theme song alarm clock and a text from Lidia as my face instantly started to flush ugh typical.

_Lidia <3: Good-morning best friend!! How did you sleep last night? :) _

_Me: Well good-morning to you too miss chipper!! I slept fine until another one freaking am pinning text from Enj woke me up so I'm exhausted as hell right now..._

_Lidia <3: I'm so sorry. Those two really need to get their asses together already and save us all the trouble for the love of any god out there!!_

_Me: I know right!! I feel like death right now, but I have probably the idea that's gonna work this time!!_

_Lidia <3: What? Can I help? :0_

_Me: Of course you can help!! I would never plan this without your help your my best friend!!  So here's my plan it's a little desperate but it's a plan nonetheless. Enj is coming over to my house tomorrow to plan for the next rally we're going to in New York this time, and he wants me to help plan it with obviously. I'm going to lock him and my brother in my bedroom until they sort out their feelings for one another._

_Lidia <3: That's really desperate but I like it. It's kind of a last resort which I understand you've been losing valuable sleep time over this and your numbers for track have been tanking in the last year. I'm in to help where I can. New York City?! That's a bit of a steep for him, did he get offered to give a speech there?_

_Me: Yes we did!! It's our first big speech of course he's doing it not me but everyone is going and we'll probably see some shows while we're there as well I hope._

_Lidia <3: Well count me in, I love New York!! We'll have to sneak away and see some musicals while we're there!! What about Phantom Of The Opera and Great Comet Of 1812 that's supposed to close soon isn't it?_

_Me: Those sound absolutely perfect to me!! Yeah it closes on September 3rd but the trip is set for the 15th in five days if you can come._

_Lidia <3: I talked to my mom and she said that I could go!! Want to go grab coffee with me I think we need to talk about something..._

_Me: Sure, nothing bad right?_

_Lidia <3: Of course not!! Unless it goes the wrong way but we'll have to see how it goes..._

I thought that it was really weird for her not to sound extremely happy over text but I just chalked it up to whatever she needed to talk to me about. I got up and began to do my daily routine for the summer.

I took a shower and washed my hair while singing musical theater songs that I was addicted to at the moment. Once that was done I picked out a summer dress and a pair of white sandals with little hearts on them. My dress for the day was a heart shaped lime green with white trim and a beautiful flowing skirt at the bottom that my brother had bought for me.

I walked into the kitchen seeing my brother slaving over making chocolate pancakes for us.

"Morning 'Taire!! How are you this morning?" I asked giving him a hug good-morning. I loved my little brother more than anything possible and he was one of my favorite people besides Lidia and Enjorlas.

"Morning sis!! You sure look exhausted, what happened?" My brother asked me with a worried glance towards the circles underneath my eyes. 

"Couldn't sleep last night I guess... I'll try harder tonight." I told him with a smile.

"What are your plans for the day big sis?" He asked raising a teasing brow at me as he dished me a plate of pancakes the doorbell rang claiming that Lidia was here. 

"Have fun with Lidia!!" My brother called out and I wondered how he knew who it was.

"Morning Lid!! How are you this morning I realized I forgot to ask that this morning sorry..." I trailed off avoiding her gaze. She looked breathtaking as per usual with her long beautiful brown hair tied back with a light blue ribbon and a yellow sundress with her messenger bag over her shoulder. Her blue eyes shone with happiness whenever I was in the room. I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her and kiss her for the rest of time. Dammit thoughts go away, she's my best friend!! 

"Don't worry about it!! It's really no trouble at all. I know that you being an Aspe holds you back from interacting well with people. My morning is good, much better that you're here now though. Sorry if I interrupted breakfast with 'Taire this morning, I just really needed to talk to you about something important..." Lidia trailed off not looking me in the eye.

"Hey, you know that you can tell me anything, you know everything about me Lid, including my sexuality. And avoiding eye contact with people is my thing not yours find a new quirk." I teased her with laugh and we just started cracking up at pretty much nothing. I knew her sexuality as well she was gay just like me but that didn't make me her type or anything. 

We walked to the cafe where we held ABC meetings on weekends during the school year and Monday Wednesday and Friday afternoons during the summer months. Today was a Saturday so we wouldn't see the gang until Monday. Me and Lidia grabbed our drinks and food and went to our regular booth.

"You mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about something Lidia what was that?" I asked her hoping not to be to pressuring into anything she didn't want to talk about.

"Alright here goes nothing, I have been hiding for way too long about my feelings towards our friendship. I love you more than life itself Amabelle Marie Jennings, more than I ever imagined loving anything. And not in the sisterly way that you have gotten accustomed to knowing me. I love you in the romantic head over heels way even though you hate that figure of speech, it holds the truth for me about my feelings being totally not platonic  at all.  Iv'e loved you from the very moment you were so honest about your feelings at only nine years of age and you held up high when you told me. When your father left you and Grantiare behind I know that broke you, but somehow you and your brother put the pieces back together and you were able to be the older figure since your mother is always working nowadays to pay the bills on your house. You help me with my homework and help me with tests and I love that you are always smart enough to be at the top of our grade even in front of Enjorlas and he studies his ass off to please his parents. You know everything about Musical Theater and do have any idea how adorable that is? That you can name every leading actor on Broadway and his past works off the top of your head!! Do you have any idea how incredible I think that is? I remember the moment that my massive crush turned into full and true and deep love. It was the first meeting for the ABC and instead of Enjorlas doing the big speech he put you up there since he wanted to see what you were capable of, which he knew of course was anything and everything. Anyway, you went up there and totally nailed the intro speech to get everybody fired up for the rally that while was tiny in our town and not in New York or anything it was so damn amazing and inspiring as you told your life story about how your dad left because of who you wanted to date. You even had Enj in tears, do you have any idea how hard it is to do that to our fearless leader? Your just as fearless as he is. I know you think that your name is horribly ironic since you don't think your loved outside of your friends and family but that's not true at all. I love you so much it hurts to see you play that piano and knowing that those love songs that you play are not for me and me alone. You don't think your strong, but your so much stronger than anyone I have ever met in my entire life. Sure you're not physically strong, but you can outrun anyone in gym class and be finished with the mile run in under ten minutes while I'm always behind you just finishing my second. If you were to have to fight, you have enough fire in your gut to get you toe to toe with anyone even someone bigger and stronger than you. You're singing and piano playing during school concerts gives me butterflies in my gut, and watching you shine even though you much prefer to stay at home and read a book or watch a movie you get this special smile when you're playing piano or acting in the schools musical during the fall and spring. Your smile means so much more to mean than anyone else's because I feel like you smile for nobody but yourself. Like, you're not putting on a show or fouling anybody because you don't care wether or not people like you. You've always hated the populars for different reasons than anybody else because they are sheep and you don't want to be a sheep for anything or anybody. Nobody can tie you down and nobody can boss you around for you are your own person. I could go on for hours about why your the most amazing and special person to me, the biggest thing I want for you to take away is that you are loved. By me. I love you more than I have ever loved anything or anybody..." As Lidia was explaining her feelings towards me and that they were the same as mine I felt myself needing to pinch myself and wake me up from whatever dream I was currently having. I pinched my right shoulder and stiffened in pain so I knew I wasn't dreaming this must be real. Lidia started to get up from her chair and leave and if not for me grabbing her hand she probably would have the cafe.

"Will you please sit down Lidia..." I asked her as she did as I wanted her to.

"Will you at least say something please? Your scaring me by not saying anything back to me..." Lidia proclaimed looking genuinely frightened of my feelings towards my best friend.

"Lidia Francis Caraway I love you more than anything in the entire cosmos. It's honestly a surprise to me because I was the exact opposite of subtle, everything you do makes me blush and flush and everything in between. Even Marius figured out my feelings, freaking Marius!! I love your fire when you fight karate even though I could never do it I love watching you because it just looks beautiful like a dance. When you smile at me especially the one that reaches your gorgeous eyes and they light up that does things to my stomach. I learned to play piano strictly to play love songs that were meant for you and you alone. All the love songs that you have caught me playing in the last five years are meant for you. Storybook love, All I ask of you, Howl's moving castle theme song everything. When I told Grantiare about my feelings towards you that started when I was ten years of age, and yes you heard me right ten years old, he instantly wanted to help me figure out the proper way to tell you everything and I had planned to so many times before but always ran high tail the other direction. When Enjorlas made me do that speech all those years ago I pretended I was just telling you my love for you along with my upbringing. So that's what I'm going to do right now. My dad abandoning me and R was the worst day of my entire life because at that moment I had to be the adult with me being the older twin by five minutes. At first I had no idea of where to even begin, but then I thought of you when your father passed away three years ago and how you were so strong for your younger brother and sister not even shedding a tear. I knew I had to that for 'Taire and my mother who was working all the time. I wanted to make my mother proud of me, that's how I stay at the top of the class to hear that 'You're still at the top of your grade sweetheart that's incredible!!' Call it selfish but I live for those moments and this moment. I had dreamed of you finally confessing your feelings for me for nearly seven long years. You're the first thing i think of every morning and the last thing I think of every night before I go to sleep. I never thought I would find love because of how horrible my father made being gay seem when I was a young girl, even after you came out to me two years ago I thought 'I'm not her type just stop getting your hopes up Amabelle' and eventually I began to believe in that lie. When I first saw you standing on your porch twelve years go now, I thought you were the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my entire life. I know that 'Taire call Enj Apollo but to me I always called you after another greek goddess Aphrodite because of how gorgeous you were to me. As I got to know you as a person I found out that you have the guts of Artemis goddess of the hunt and leader of the huntresses. You will never go down without a fight and if someone you think is wrong there's no stopping you in proving said person wrong. You stand up for those who get bullied for being queer everyday at school, and true we've all done it at some point because we're all apart of the ABC, but you're constant and always standing up for the justice of the little people. I love that about you. I love when you laugh and you just can't stop laughing so you start to squeak. I know you hate it when that happens but all your flaws and little things that make you different are the things I want to treasure. I want to wrap my arms around you and kiss you and just never ever stop kissing you. That's been my life everyday and it's what most of the time keeps me going and keeps me moving forward when i get frustrated with just life in general. I want to stay with you for the rest of time. I say that there are three great ones in life and yes I stole that from A Bronx Tale don't judge me, and Lidia your my first great one and I don't want to let you go for anything in the entire universe." As I responded to her feelings I felt the tears start to fall heavily down my cheeks but I couldn't care less because these tears were because Lidia loved me back dammit and that was such an amazing feeling.

I felt a hand grab mine and the blush came back high on my cheeks. This was happening, this was really happening.

"Are you serious?! Ten years old?" Lidia asked me with a slight chuckle.

"Oh, yeah ever since you had me and R's surprise party and invited all the Les Amis group to go ice skating. Ever since I have been in love with you as cheesy as that probably sounds..." I told her avoiding her gaze and looking down.

"Not cheesy at all. In fact I think it's really kinda adorable but then again Iv'e been in love with you since we were eleven years old so that's seven yeas of pinning to both your brother and Eponine I have been doing. They've known for five years, so about as long as Enj has been one o' clock am texting you to simply pine knowing you can't get back to sleep once you've been woken up." Lidia explained lifting my check up so that I could look her in the eye. I did so and saw the unshed tears that lingered in her beautiful blue eyes that I went to wipe away and watched as for once she blushed and not me.

I felt her hand draw light circles around mine as we laughed at how ridiculous this morning was going so far. 

"Let me ask this question, since you were brave enough to confess first, will you please be my girlfriend and be sickeningly sweet with me until everyone shoves us out of the room?" I asked her with a laugh hoping that she would say yes.

"Of course I will!! Look out Courf and Ferre, you guys are going to get some competition. We're going to R and Enj a run for their money!!" She proclaimed when I got a text from the man in question.

_Enjorlas: I'm on my way to discuss the rally, sorry my family said I couldn't go out tomorrow. God call me when they don't need me for anything anymore..._

"Alright, Lidia time to get the other idiots together Enj is on his way over to my house." I said getting up from the booth and throwing away my trash. 

"I thought that was tomorrow? What happened?" Lidia asked me as she grabbed my hand and I thought I could get used to this. 

"No need to get used to anything, I'm here for the long haul sweetheart!!" I blushed at the thought of saying that out loud, curse my brain.

"Enjorlas's parents are making him stay home tomorrow. My money's on they are having some big gala or party and need their son present. Seems to be the only time they ever need him nowadays." I told her with a slight frown for the worry of my best friend in the entire world aside from Lidia.

"Oh that's too bad, we'll be there to save him should he need saving. I hate his family, they think they can ignore him unless they need him for some gala or party just because he is gay!!" She yelled out cursing the name of his family as we walked into my house and started to get ready for our guest.

I found my brother in his bedroom sketching out posters for the rally in New York. It looked like he was making Jehan's at the moment because they were genderfluid and it had a saying 'Just because I am born one gender doesn't mean I can't be both at the same time!!'

"Hey 'Taire, just a little bit of a heads up Enjorlas is on his way over here." I told him smiling knowing his reaction because we have done this thousands of times in the past.

"What?! I thought you said tomorrow?! I am not prepared for his gorgeousness and shining personality!!" Grantaire protested blushing madly and I bit back a laugh at him and his over dramatics.

"Well you best get ready for your Apollo because he should be here any moment..." I told him as the doorbell rang signaling our leader's arrival. I walked over to let in my best friend from the outside, once I did I felt him wrap me up in our traditional hug.

"Morning Enj!! So why the change of plans if you don't mind me asking?" I questioned as he walked in with typical him fashion wearing his usual red vest, white shirt, and black dress pants with his messenger bag slung over his shoulder with his rainbow flag pin that I bought him when he came out to me five years ago.

"Ugh.. Another party, another day that I am required to pretend that I am not ignored any other time..." Enjorlas mentioned to me scowling at the wall.

"I'm so sorry Enj, if you need an escape you're always welcomed in our house here since my mom is always working." I explained to him and it was time to put my plan to order Grantiare was still in his bedroom so I would have to work with that. I saw Mr. Pinning himself walk out of his room carrying signs and posters for everyone in New York.

"Morning Apollo..." My brother told him avoiding his eye contact with the love of his life.

"How many times have I told you not to call me after any god because I am not one!! Jesus 'Taire, can you not just call me by my name.." Enjorlas answered blushing like a manic. Honestly these two need as much help as I can muster maybe even more help than me.

"Alright you two now we have an announcement to make, me and Amabelle are finally dating!!" Lidia said grabbing my hand causing me to yet again blush like a crazy person.

"That's incredible!! I am surprised that it took you two this long though, you may want to treat her well Lidia and I know you will because the last thing that you need is me on your bad side. Besides you could probably kick my ass anyway and I wouldn't even know which way was up." Grantiare mentioned leading us to my room. As both my brother and Enjorlas started to lovingly bicker with one another with one another they were the first ones inside the room. I closed the door behind them and I could instantly hear protests coming from the other side of the door.

"What is happening here? I am severely confused at the moment!!" Enjorlas shouted from inside of the room.

"I'm really extremely sorry to have to do this to both of you, but I am doing this for your own good. I am getting sick and damn tired of getting very little sleep thanks to somebody so please figure out your feelings and then we can have our small group meeting!!" I told them as I locked the door hoping that this would be the one thing that would would work because I was fresh out of ideas at this point.

* * *

**Grantaire POV:**

_I can't believe that she had the nerve to lock me in a room with my crush since I was twelve years old, I mean I get that she's older but come on!! How do you tell the most gorgeous creature in the entire world that you are so madly in love with them. I don't even know where I start with his eyes or with his beautiful golden hair, his fiery personality that could quite literally take down an entire army, how loving he is towards people close to him like my sister or Lidia, or how much he's going to change the world someday with or without me by his side..._

"Grantiare... What was Ama talking about just now?" Enjorlas asked me with a curious gaze and his eyes were so beautiful that I just wanted to hold him close for the rest of time.

 ~~~~"Alright, I will tell you everything Enjorlas I swear it's just gonna be a little more difficult than I originally intended...." I trailed off knowing I would get kicked out of the group and the one person I actually respected in this cruel cruel world would give me the shut down.

"You can tell me anything 'Taire. I know we fight a lot but I do care about you more than I can say." My own version of Apollo told me with a slight frown eyebrows creasing together adorably and that just made me want to cuddle him for the rest of time.

"Here goes nothing I guess Enjorlas Leo Peruvaire, I have been in love you from the very first moment we met as comical as that moment was. I instantly texted Amabelle saying that I had just ran straight into a literal god. There is a reason that I call you Apollo and that's because to me you have the grace and figure of a god. Your righteousness can lead anyone to follow you anywhere at all. I know that you think I can't possibly believe in anything but the one thing in this world that I do actually believe in is you and your cause. To me your the most gorgeous creature ever to walk the face of this planet nobody can compare to you for me. The way your eyes get that fire in them and they light up when you get excited or passionate about your cause. The way sometimes when you get so moved by others speaking especially my older twin sister that you get moved to tears just by words is incredible. The way you look at someone you so obviously care about you get this special soft look in your eyes that just moves me in ways that you have no idea. I literally told my sister the day I met you that you were going to be the one to end me for anybody else and she thought I was crazy. But, it was the truth you have forever screwed me for other men or women there is only you left Enj. Sometimes when you talk about your parents I just want to wrap you up in my arms and make you forget every bad thing that ever happened to you with kisses. They don't know what they are missing out on Enjorlas because they don't know you and that's their own damn fault. I just wish that I could protect you from them, and show you how brilliant and beautiful you truly are Apollo. I remember when we were back in junior high before you became you today and you got bullied for being gay, now that your more confident in your ability's and your use of words to your advantage you're able to protect anybody else who gets bullied. When Javert started to enforce LGBTQ+ discriminations last year you stood in the front holding onto my sister while you two held up the massive rainbow flag in front of everybody chanting 'Love is love' for an entire day on the weekend with the entire ABC crew right behind you. You gave my sister the confidence to take down an entire army of critics who discourage her lifestyle with Lidia, people like our dad. Before you, she was as meek as a mouse. But, you changed her and made her better and did the same thing with me. I love you more than anything in the entire world, more than sketching and drawing, more than listening to music more than literally anything. And it terrifies me everyday. Because I know that you could never fall for the world's biggest cynic like myself who doesn't believe in anything except for the fact that you are going to change the world someday by being just yourself. I am probably going to end up just being some drunk artist at a bar like the usual cliche." As I admitted everything and got it all on the table I hoped and prayed that he wouldn't surprisingly hate me after all of this.

"You.. You love me?" He asked as I nodded my head.

"I know there is no possible way that you could ever feel the same way that I do so I'm just going to go and see if we have any ice cream in the freezer." I told him as I stood up until I felt a hand grab my wrist.

"Will you at least give me a shot to confess my feelings for you too, you idiot..." Enjorlas told me he sat me back down and I felt instant sparks at the thought of his hand still being inside of my own.

"Grantiare Aaron Jennings I am so in love with you it's ridiculous. The way you care about your sister more than anything, like she's your lifeline to sanity, it moved me when were kids together. I love the way your tongue pokes out when you draw and you think nobody notices but I always notice. I love the way when you get so caught up in your music that you have to dance, and your an amazing dancer Grantiare and I'm not just saying that because you should know that I never ever say anything that I don't mean. The night your father left hurt everybody in our friend group and was a horrible experience but that was the day that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you 'Taire. From the moment I met you, as funny as it will be in the near future was the first time I felt an instant connection to a person in my entire life. I texted Cosette after our first meeting saying that I just saw the most handsome boy with beautiful eyes that spoke to his soul. Your love for theater sparked my own, my parents forced me to go to plays when I was younger and I hated every single one of them. Until I met you and saw your love for Phantom Of The Opera unfold in front of your eyes and they lit up like little stars at just the idea of that show. I love when we argue because you're my counterpart in terms of using words to your advantage. When I had your sister do that rally I wanted her to be strong enough to be able to have these things without me around. I know I play like I am fearless but in all honesty I'm terrified that one day I'll wake up and all the friends that I have suddenly won't need to have me around anymore. You're all so strong and fearless that you guys rub off on me and I'm able to be strong enough to lead all of you into battle. Most times I fear that I am going to be fully disowned by my family and this will probably be the kicker, but you know what Grantiare I don't care about what they say!! I love you and I want to be with you more than anything else in the entire world. I couldn't care less about what my parents tell the papers, they will be all lies anyway. You're the greatest person in the entire world to me because of your strength that you show even if it's deep down in your soul. That day we stormed through our school instead of me giving the speech to give to get the ABC members and all of the other students wanting to make a change, I usually think about all the lost boys and girls who are never given the option to embrace themselves. But, that day the speech felt entirely different. It was a speech for those to be able walk down the hallways holding hands with their respective partners, and I thought about me and you if I were able to escape from my parents. True, this happened a lot sooner than I expected but it still at least happened. I should have seen this coming anyway, and I have a confession to make. The reason your sister is so tired as of late is mostly my fault because I have been texting her at one o' clock in the morning in order to talk about you and get things off my chest. You're not going to become some drunk man in a bar because I will be there with you to make sure that never happens. I'm in this for the long haul and I will be there to push you to your furthest." I heard my own personal version of Apollo explain to me as I went into probably shock because the next thing I knew I was in his arms and he was holding me tightly to him and unwilling to let me go.

"Am I dreaming this" I asked aloud to nobody in particular. I heard Enjorlas bark out a laugh and hug me even tighter to him.

"If you are dreaming then so am I my darling but how about we prove that we're not dreaming." Then before I could protest anything he pressed his lips to mine a slow and sweet kiss.

It was the most amazing feeling I have ever experienced in my entire life and for a first kiss it was by far the most amazing thing I have ever done. As he pulled away the dazed look in his eyes made me want to just hold him close and protect him forever and that's what I chose to do from that moment onward.    

           

 


	2. Enjorlas finally has a family...

"Alright, that was surprisingly simple, I was expecting at least Enjorlas to put up a fight and try to stop me." I told Lidia as she hugged me to her side.

I felt her lips press up against mine and at first I was surprised by the sudden feeling of this finally happening after all these years before I slowly began to kiss her back just lovingly. We were interrupted by a sudden ping from my phone telling me I had a text from Enjorlas.

_Enjorlas: We've discussed our feelings, may we please come out of here now? All this pink and musicals posters is going to drive me absolutely batty up here._

"Oh my god, cool your jets!! Jesus you love musical theater just as much as I do moron." I yelled as I went up the stairs to unlock my bedroom door. Once I opened it I found my brother and my best friend in an adorable embrace and I foresaw many years of walking in on the two of them like this. I coughed in order for them to look up at the doorway.

"Ugh, finally. It's way too pink and girly in here." Enjorlas told me sarcastically.

"Pfft. That's rich coming from the man who's room colors are only red and black. Talk about boring." I retorted back with a roll of my eyes. I felt my best friends arms wrap around me and then my brothers and my newly named girlfriend. I was so comfortable that I never wanted to leave and just stay here in this moment and never part from each other. My own family that I never knew I needed before now.

"Can we just stay here and forget everything?" Grantiare asked and I started to laugh at each other for what were all thinking.

"No, you idiot we actually have work to do..." Lidia told my brother with a smack upside his head.

"So who's moving first?" I asked and Enjorlas got up and helped me up with him.

"I actually need to talk to you before we start rally planing. But, I am also hungry, did your mother leave anything before leaving for the restaurant this morning?" Enjorlas asked the group and my brother nodded as he went to reheat whatever my mom prepared for us last night once she got home. My  mother is the owner and runs a local swanky restaurant named Madam's downtown. Me and Enjorlas went into our living room and he sat down next to me.

"What's the matter Enj? You're my best friend, you know you can tell me absolutely anything right..." I looked at Enjorlas eyes and noticed that they were cloudy and upsetting to look at. He should be happy and his eyes alight with wonder like when we saw Phantom together.

"I'm scared of what my parents are going to do when they find out what happened with me and 'Taire. They know of my feelings for him because when I came out five years ago they asked if I had a boy I had feelings for and I was honest and told them Grantiare's name. But, now that we're finally together after all these years I'm fearful of what might happen to me. Will they kick me out and put me on the streets? Or something worse... They could send me away and I'll never see you or my love ever again and they'll keep me from your family... You know their powerful enough to do that right?" Enjorlas told me with tears in his eyes that were streaming down his face and kept pooling there as I wrapped my arms around him.

"Oh Enjorlas... You know that you could always stay here if and when the kick you out of the house correct? My mom loves you like her own child and you already spend some nights here in the spare room." I responded trying to dry his tears away from his face but they just kept on coming.

"You hardly see your mom as it is already... I couldn't stay here and have her work even harder..." Enjorlas said sniffling and still crying.

"I hardly see my mom because she owns this town's best restaurant and she always has even when my dad was here. So technically she would stay working the same hours." I explained taking out my phone to text my mom to prove my point to Enjorlas.

"What are you doing...?" Enjorlas asked me as I started typing away on my keypad with one hand while he held the other.

"Texting my mom. Want to see?" I replied showing him my phone when he nodded his head

_Me: Hi mom!! How's the restaurant going today? I have a question for when you have a moment you're not too busy._

_Mom: Hi sweetie!! The restaurant is going great we just finished our daily meeting with the other chefs here. Of course I have the time for your question, what's troubling you my darling?_

_Me: Actually it's not me I'm worried about mom. See, I finally got Enjorlas and R together. However, Enj is nervous that his parents will kick him out of the house when he tells them tonight. Can he live here if that does happen?_

_Mom: Oh that poor boy!! Of course he can stay with us. I have half a mind right now to march right up to the Peruviare house and give them a piece of my mind!! But, alas I have to get back to work. I love you!!_

_Me: Love you too mom!! Have a great rest of your day <3_

"See what did I tell you Enjorlas, my mother loves you like another one of her own children." I told him giving him another hug and wanting to take his pain away forever and allow him to just be happy because I hated seeing him like this.

My brother and girlfriend came back into the room carrying greek salad and sandwiches that my mom left for us for lunch. They also had strawberry lemonade that I made last night because my brother was addicted to it and constantly drinking it.  We ate happily and chatted about practically nothing at all. From what subjects we were excited about in school to the shows that we were hoping to see in our three free days in New York. Which brought up the subject of the signs that all of our friends would carry.

"Which one is mine R" I asked my younger twin brother as he dug through the pile until he found one with a giant lesbian flag on it that 'Love is love is love is love' written across the top a quote from my idol Lin Manuel Miranda.

He showed Lidia her's as well which had 'Who said my angel of music couldn't be a female' with an organ on the bottom and music notes coming out of the top of it.

"Where's mine love?" Enjorlas asked looking at his eyes with a lovesick grin. My brother blushed and pulled out one that was behind him. It had a gay pride flag across the top with the lyrics to one of his favorite songs Imagine by John Lennon 'Imagine all the people living life in peace' a quote that he lived by and Enjorlas had tears in his eyes at the memory of me playing that song at his thirteenth birthday party.

"These are gorgeous but aren't you coming as well brother?" I asked afraid that he wasn't. I have never liked to do a rally without my brother right behind me. He nodded his head and pulled a giant piece of board on a stick like the rest of ours and his said 'I met an angel at twelve years old and he changed my life.' with the bisexual pride flag on the bottom. We all looked up at him shocked that this was what he made.

"What?! I was actually planning on telling you how I felt on the day of the pride parade Enj. Until somebody over here decided to literally force us into a room and lock the door." Grantiare teased moving over to my side with Lidia and motioning her to move over so that he could sit with me and Enjorlas.

"You try being forced awake at one am and see how you feel..." I told him nudging Enj jokingly.As we spent the next couple of hours laughing and joking around and laughing at old stories I remembered one of the oldest tricks that my other best friend Courfeyrac who constantly tried to come up with new ways to mess with us in clever styles.

"Wait guys do you remember the time Courf told Joly he had a new extremely deadly  disease that hadn't been named yet?" I asked laughing at my best friends craziness.

"Oh my god!! Yes and Joly spent that entire next week and a half avoiding Courf like the plague and when they had to be in the same room for meetings he would be wearing protective gear in order to not catch it." My brother caught on continuing the story as we were all laughing way too hard at this old story we had told each other nearly thousands of times.

"That was good, but what I thought was absolutely perfect was when Joly found that Courf was lying to him the entire time!! Joly full on punched him in the face breaking his nose!!" Lidia said barking out a laugh at her brothers stupidity. 

"That's right!! He was being so melodramatic about the entire thing 'I can't believe someone so skinny and weak was able to cause permanent damage to my otherwise perfect nose!!" Enjorlas added rolling his eyes at his best friends wacky antics. We all loved Courfeyrac for bringing much needed humor to our otherwise serious group of friends. We all looked to him for either a sarcastic remark or a witty joke on someone's behalf to make a dark situation much lighter.

"Well I should be getting home, Courf's probably burned the place down, more details on why later, all I got this morning was cupcakes for Combeferre no clue as to why though..." Lidia mentioned getting up from the couch and I walked her out to the door.

"Do you think Enjorlas is going to be okay tonight?" Lidia whispered to me at the door.

"He'll be perfectly fine, he's staying with me if worse comes to play. I'll keep you posted. I love you!!" I told her as she went through the door blowing me a kiss.

"I should be getting back too. They probably noticed Iv'e been gone all day." Enjorlas said leaving his boyfriends embrace with a farewell kiss on the nose. I got up with him and walked him to the door.

"Make sure that you text the instant something happens do you hear me?" I ordered him as we got to the door.

"Yes ma'am I will!!" He gave me a mock salute and went on his way back home as it started to rain for the first time in a month. Probably just a glimpse of what was to happen later that night.

* * *

Me and 'Taire actually made our own pizza's for dinner and were jamming out to one of our favorite bands, Queen when I received a text from Enjorlas.   

_Enjorlas: Well they kicked me out. Sent me up to my room to pack up my things. Can you be here as fast as you can and I'm sorry if I interrupted your dinner with 'Taire and maybe your mother. I have all my clothes but I need help getting the posters out of my room. You'll here slurs and foul language towards the LGBTQ+ community from probably down the block. I put on headphones but I can still hear it perfectly clear. Just. Hurry. Please. I want to get out of here as fast as humanly possible. And leave my boyfriend at home please I can't let him see me like this._

"Grantiare, save me some pizza. Enjorlas's parents have kicked him out of the house. And you can't come." I told him with tears in my eyes for my best friend to have to got through such pain, oh his parents were going to hear it from me. My brother put the  cheese and pepperoni pizza on our kitchen counter and put on his shoes.

"Too bad. I know why he doesn't want me to come because he's afraid of what might happen when I see him damaged and broken but text him that I don't care and couldn't ever care.

_Me: I'm so sorry Enj. I am on my way and I tried to make Grantiare stay at home but you know how stubborn he is when it comes to the people that he cares about more than anything and said 'he doesn't and care and couldn't ever care that your damaged and broken' because guess what Enjorlas? We're the same way. And trust me when I say that I am going to give your parents the what-for. I am so livid right now!! You literally have no idea..._

After I sent the text I grabbed my messenger bag and put my phone inside and grabbed my favorite slivery flats with gold bows on the tops.

"I can't believe we're going back to the house that we used to love because there were so many rooms. Now I'm scared of that same place that brought so many happy memories" I said to my brother as he linked my arm with his. Through our childhood he was my rock, probably the reason why I haven't been completely and wholly alone in my life. And we were on a mission to save the greatest person we both knew.

"I know. I was just thinking that exact same thing. I hope I can get Enjorlas out of there alright, without a confrontation." My brother replied looking down at the ground.

"I'll take care of the confrontation, I have got to give them a piece of my mind and you're not stopping me R. I have to do this on my own. And yes I am about to have a sensory overload but I think I'll be fine." I retorted fervently getting that same look that Enjorlas does when hosting a giant rally at the town square or at school.

"Maybe I should start calling you fearless leader?" My brother mentioned teasingly as we stopped in front of the massive mansion where we spent most of our tween and teenager years.

We were buzzed in by the doorman who recognized us from when we were younger because we haven't been to this house in nearly two years.

"Hello Miss Amabelle Master Grantiare, I wasn't expecting to you two tonight. Though I am not surprised in the slightest, there seems to be an uproar as you can probably hear. I am so sorry on behalf of my employers they are ignorant and quite frankly stupid to want to get ride of Master Enjorlas who did nothing wrong. Promise me something though. Promise me that you will protect him for he is weaker and more fragile than he looks. Years of living in isolation practically can do wonders to a person..." The doorman explained to us as we nodded our heads and we instantly heard a massive argument going on about Enjorlas and how is living his life both thinking it would end in ruin.

"Psst guys up here and they won't see you" We heard Enjorlas whisper from on the top of the stairs. Grantiare rushed up the stairs to wrap his boyfriend in his arms and got rid of the tears forming in his eyes.

"Ama where the hell are you going?!" Grantiare whisper yelled at me as I went straight for the screaming couple.

"Someone has to defend you two. It's in the best friend contract trust me brother I'll be fine." I whispered back as they went to Enjorlas's room. I went unnoticed for only a moment before the yells were thrown at me.

"Who let you in here?! Honestly that old doorman needs to be fired!! You better not be the press we called for to come tomorrow..." Enjorlas's father yelled at me moving up in my personal space.

"My name is Amabelle Jennings. I am Enjorlas's best friend and Grantiare's older twin sister. Let me tell you something about your son. He did nothing wrong in this scenario he only fell in love with an amazing person." I told them backing away from the stare down I was receiving.

"Are you a member of that group that he runs for the freaks... The ABC?" His mother mentioned giving me a death glare that I took with stride.

"Yes I am. I'm his co-partner in running it. I'm a lesbian and have a girlfriend." I told her.

"You're kind disgust me!! How dare you fall for the wrong gender!! Don't you know God damns you to hell for that?!" His father yelled at me and I instantly felt an eye roll coming.

"You know what!! I have had it up to here with people like you!! My father judged me just like you are right now. And I have news for you, this is shockingly not the late 1800's anymore or wherever you think you are with those ideals. We're not sinners and it shouldn't matter in the slightest who you fall in love with because love is love. I I used to be afraid of who I was as meek as a mouse until your incredible son came along and introduced me to all of his friends who understood me. My dad left me when I was twelve almost thirteen and your about to do the same thing to your own damn son. I don't understand, if he falls in love with my brother or with another person it shouldn't matter to you. I'll bet before he was born you said that you would love this child no matter what correct? Then why are you acting so stuck-up and like you write the rules which you don't and if you even think about trash talking me, my brother or Enjorlas I will come back with even more insults thrown at your faces." I then turned on my heal and walked up the stairs and ran to Enjorlas's bedroom which I knew exactly where it was. I gave the secret knock I used for my brother and heard him pound on the back of the wall. 

"Alright, check and mate I think I won that round..." I announced cracking my knuckles to punctuate my point.

"I heard everything, and I can safely say that I have indeed taught you well young master." Enjorlas said giving me a huge hug for my troubles.

"I highly doubt that was the last of them though. God when are all the homophobes going to be gone and we can just live our lives in peace?" My brother asked getting down Enjorlas's John Lennon poster. He also had a Phantom one that matched my own, one for Elton John and one for Freddie Mercury. He idolized what these men stood for and the people that they fought for. I helped get down the Freddie and Elton ones and let my brother grab the Phantom one and made our way down the stairs not even trying to be quiet.

"Where do you think you're going to stay, son?" Enjorlas's father asked sending me an immediate glare and getting up in my face again once he reached us. Grantiare gave the look not to interfere and that he could handle this.

"Well sir, he is going to stay with me and my older sister..." Grantiare told him stepping in front of me.

"So your the little man-whore that corrupted our dear boy, I would have thought you'd at least be handsome looks like I was wrong though. I have every right to give you a good talking to..." His mother said getting in front and on the other side of my brother.

"You will do no such thing!!  He's not ugly, in fact he's one of the beautiful people in the entire world to me because looks don't matter. Personality now that matters. He's my younger brother and I will stand up for him. He just wants to live his life, please give him that much" I protested getting in front of my brother.  The next thing I knew I heard a loud _SLAP_ and I had been struck in the face by his wife.

"That'll teach you, you dumb slut!! Ladies are supposed to be proper and civil. Yet you are anything but that, why even bother fighting? Just give up." His mother told me as I cowered in fear of her.

"You leave her alone!!" I heard Enjorlas yell out from behind my brother giving up being unseen I had never seen my best friend so angry before. Not even when our local bully pushed me down the stairs in freshman year for a lesbian and he was livid at that one.

"What are you going to do about, Enjorlas? You've never stood up to us before why are you now?" His mother asked him getting in front of her son. 

"Because she is worth far more than I will ever be. She is kindhearted and has only ever had to look after her younger brother since her mom started to work more hours. She is more often then not at the top of our grade with me right behind her and I love that she is just as smart as me if not more smart. She forgives people who have wronged her in the past. And mother, you will leave my boyfriend alone, he is better than you will ever be. All he ever did was fall in love with me and I with him." With that he spat right in his mothers face as he picked up his two duffel bags full of clothes took my brothers hand then my arm and walked out of the house with us.

"Wow.... Did that really just happen?" I asked aloud feeling my burning cheek and started on our way back home where hopefully mom was waiting.

"Yes it did. I think your burning cheek is a testament to that... I'm so sorry about my parents. They're the worst. But, at least now I'm finally free." Enjorlas said laughing at the sky at the thought of being able to live his own life.

"It's not your fault Enj, your mom is a massive piece of work!! I can't believe that stuff she said to us. Where did you come from exactly Enjorlas? Surely not from those pricks you had to call parents?" I mentioned jokingly shoving his side as we made it to our house and the smell of strawberry shortcake was evident.

"Mom, we're home!!" I called out as we helped Enjorlas with his things and put them onto the couch to hang up after we got some food.

"Hi sweetheart!! I'm in the kitchen!!" She yelled back as we went into the kitchen and saw the pizza's all laid out plus a salad and for dessert the cake we had smelled saying _Welcome into the family, Enjorlas!!_ in red royal icing. 

"Oh honey, what happened to your cheek?" She asked putting her hand where I had been slapped.

"Ummm... About that... I may have tried to stand up for Grantiare and Enjorlas's mother may or may not have slapped me across the face to try to shut me up." I told her quietly and hoping she wasn't mad at me for trying to do the right thing.

"You know what, I am going over there. Don't you three even try to stop me there is no point in doing so. I have been meaning to give that women a piece of my goddamn mind for nearly four years now. Enjoy the pizza kids and I'll be back as soon as I can..." With that my mom turned out of the house. We all sat silently for a moment until the laughter came and it just wouldn't stop. I got a text from Lidia straight afterwords.

_Lidia <3: Hey, angel what's the matter with your mom? I was sitting with my family on our front porch and I just saw her leave like a women on a mission to avenge for child?_

_Me: Please don't freak out or anything babe, it's really no big deal. What happened was when I went to get Enjorlas from his house I had an encounter with his mother as we left. She slapped me in the face and then continued to berate me for my lifestyle and my mom just left to give her a piece of her mind._

_Lidia <3: Why didn't you tell me you were going to get Enj? I would have come with you..._

_Me: I didn't want you to have to get involved, don't worry I gave her a piece of my mind as well as my mother is probably going to. Have you had dinner or dessert yet honey? We have homemade pizza and my mom baked strawberry shortcake at work I think._

_Lidia <3: I think I could go for some shortcake... Should I ask Courf as well he's been looking over my shoulder this entire time it's driving me crazy. _

_Me: Go right ahead we've got way too much for us to enjoy._

* * *

**Amabelle's mother POV**

_I can't believe the nerve of that women hitting my child and then yelling at my baby boy like that!! She will feel the wrath of a well earned mother who actually does a good job at being one despite having to work extra hours to keep the house we already have. Not like I didn't work hard before since my ex-husband did literally nothing at home._

****I stopped in front of the biggest mansion on the block and this was the Peruvaire household. I was buzzed in by the nice older doorman.

 ****"Excuse me, are Miss Amabelle's and Master Grantiare's mother?" He asked me raising his eyebrow at me.

 ****"Yes sir, will you let me in please? I need to have a conversation of the not so kind nature with Madam Peruviare." I told him getting right down to the point and hoping that he would let me inside.

"Of course, go give her hell!! I saw your daughter walk out of here with an extremely red cheek and know that the Madam hit her across the face. She deserves a good talking to anyway. Good luck." And then he sent me up to the house on a small walkway overlooking a very kept garden. I could hear yelling and slurs most likely directed towards my children.

I found them in the sitting room with a way too big of a fireplace to be humanly real and it took them a moment to fully notice me.

"Darling, remind me to fire that doorman tomorrow, he's let in too many people we have never seen before for one night." I heard the husband muter to his wife.

"Who are you now? Another snippy member of whatever the hell group my son tried to create for freaks like him?" The wife asked standing up in my face trying to stare me down.

"No, nice try. My name is Maryanne Jennings my children were in here earlier. You hit my daughter across the face. And let me tell you something about my children. They are the perfect angels just like your son is." I explained who I was to them and watched their faces grow darker.

"Oh you're the mother of the whore and the man whore who isn't even that good looking..." The father told me as I started to feel the steam brewing inside of me and start to take over.

"Now you two listen here!! My kids are beautiful and perfect and smart and creative. They are the best thing that I have ever done in my entire life!! I wouldn't try to change them make them straight, whatever!! They are themselves and Enjorlas taught my daughter to stand up for herself against critics like you and my ex-husband who was a lazy homophobic asshole. The last thing you two are is lazy, but you're definitely homophobic." With that I slapped the wife across the face and turned on my heel to go back home to my newly added family.

When I got home I heard way more voices inside and I opened the door to see the adorable girl Lidia and her twin brother Courfeyrac sitting around laughing and eating the food my children had made and felt like the luckiest mother in the entire universe.   

 

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!! Welcome to another chapter. I'm really in love with how this story is turning out so far and how fast these chapters are coming out. No promises once school starts but for right now I am writing as much as humanly possible. This musical means the world to me and it's one of the reasons why I love theater to this very day. It taught me how tragic and fragile life can be and how fast it can end.


	3. The Rally days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!! I know that a lot of you were thinking that I dropped this story but you'd be wrong in this case!! This will be the last chapter (for now I might bring it back) but it's bound to be a long one. So strap yourselves on for a fun ride full of these characters basically just being themselves.

_The next couple of days leading up to the rally were absolutely insane for all of my friends. Having to plan for such a big rally on a short notice never really sat well with anyone in our friend group. I was up for giving the speech this time around since me and Enjorlas switch because we wanted to co-partner this job and split everything fifty fifty. It makes it a lot easier with two people doing a lot of work than one person doing a majority of it. I was super excited and nervous about doing my first big gig but I had enough faith in myself to be able to strictly rely on myself. I wanted to make my friends feel proud of me though that was the biggest thing. I was nervous that one day, I'll just stop being helpful. They'll cast me out and send me off to another section of the school. That was my biggest fear in life and I had no idea how to voice that fear but one day I just kinda let that be the worst case thing that could ever happen to me. We had planned out five musicals over four days this time because we wanted to get a taste of everything this time. We had Phantom tonight, tomorrow was the rally day and we all got in to see one of the final performances of Great Comet, we also had a matinee of School Of Rock one of my all time favorites, an evening show of Charlie and the chocolate factory and on our last day we had one final matinee of Come From Away one of Lidia's favorites._

I woke up the same as every other morning and checked my messages and I had one from Lidia already.

_Lidia <3: I'm sure that you'll do beautifully tomorrow, if you're using the same speech that made Enj cry all those years ago. _

_Me: I am using that same speech, it's the most effective and has the best emotional appeal. I should go wake up my brother though, knowing him he's still sleeping._

I heard a knock on my door and knew who it was by the secret knock.

"Come on in Enj!! I just woke up." I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and he came through the door.

"Morning!! Hope you're ready for a five hour road trip!! I'm sure not, my backs hurting just thinking about it." I laughed at my best friends over exaggeration.

"I happen to love road trips so I'm more than ready to go to NYC, little bit nervous for tomorrow. But, I have this speech memorized like the back of my hand." I told him as I went to go make my brothers coffee. He had an obsession with mocha's so we always had hot chocolate made from scratch on hand. I fixed his coffee and carefully brought it upstairs to my brothers room. I knocked on the door first and heard no answer he was probably still sleeping.

"Grantaire... R... Brother wake up... Don't make me start singing you know I'll do it..." I heard groans as an answer and began singing one of my favorite openings in musical theater. My brother threw the pillow over his head and screamed as I started to sing.

 _"Good morning! Good day! How are you this beautiful day? Isn't this a beautiful morning? Very. Hey Sipos how's this? That's an awfully elegant pose, but is all that elegance necessary?"_ I sang one of my dream shows that I have actually been a part of before I was Amalia Bolish in my school's production last year and it was a crazy yet awesomely fun ride. Enjolras was my love interest and we had a crazy fun time being the perfect match for each other.

"Alright you evil twin sister... I'm up, I'm up..." I handed him his coffee.

"You're forgiven." I laughed at my brother's easy to please nature.

"You're too easy brother, you should really get moving though." I left my brother just as Enj came out of his room wearing his everyday outfit for just relaxing. A red hoodie sweatshirt and black jeans with a white undershirt.

"Did you just have to pull the good morning good day on him again?" We both laughed at each other.

"Would he really wake up any other way?" I went to my room and picked out my favorite tank top and white shorts that went to my knees. My tank top was in the gay pride flag colors and I wore it as often as I could. I wish they had a lesbian pride flag and I always wanted to create one myself. I went downstairs while french braiding my black curly hair. I walked into the kitchen and saw this beautiful cake sitting on the kitchen table. It was a cupcake cake and my mother left a note for all my friends and I.

_Hi Les Amis members!!,_

_I hope that you all have a nice trip and I'm so sorry that I can't be there to cheer you on today. One of my chefs had to call in sick today so I am needed to fill in. I hope that you can all enjoy this cake though. It's got strawberry lemonade flavor, vanilla, chocolate  chocolate chip, red velvet and tangerine._

I felt a surge of hugging my mom right now. She was probably up all night working on this cake. I texted her my thanks and felt bad that she had to work so hard for me and my friends.

_Me: Mom, you didn't need to bake the cake for me and my friends. Don't get me wrong here but sometimes I think you do too much that I can ever pay back._

_Mom: Sweetie, I was happy to make you that cake. Don't worry about repayment I just want you to be happy and these friends of yours make you insanely happy. They all love you and I just want to pay back that much._

I heard Enjolras and my brother's door close and they came downstairs.

"What's this?" Enjolras asked as he looked at the cake. It was in shape of the LGBTQ flag with the frosting.

"My mom made us this cake for the trip. The rows are strawberry lemonade, chocolate, vanilla, chocolate chip, red velvet and tangerine." I heard the doorbell ring signaling that Lydia was here to take us to New York with her mom driving. I raced up the stairs to grab my backpack stuffed with clothes, gum, my cell phone, earbuds and speech on flashcards. I ran back down the stairs after grabbing my tigger plush I bought from my Disneyland trip when I got on the honor roll for the first time after my father left. I grabbed the cake and carried it out to the car and took some lemonade that I made the day before.

"Morning my love!!" Lidia took the lemonade and helped me put the cake in the backseat.

"Morning Lydia!!" I gave her a light kiss and heard gagging noises coming from her younger brother by about ten minutes Courfeyrac.

"Oh shove off you jerk!! Like you don't do that with your boyfriend when you see him at school!!" I yelled at him as we all got into Alice's car. Enjolras and Grantaire were already sitting comfortably and sat next to them with Courf in the passenger seat until we went and got Combeferre.

"Morning Belle, you nervous?" Alice asked me after she pulled out of the driveway. She was one of the biggest women in the work business in our small town and owned the biggest company in the state of New Jersey.

"I'm a little bit nervous but not enough that I can't handle it. I mean I am able to be on a stage and run for track so I can handle crowds really well. Of course, if you had asked me five years ago, I would have ran away in fear." I laughed at that and felt Lydia put her arm around me.

"There's nothing to be nervous about my love, you'll blow the audience's minds come tomorrow." I giggled at that.

"Let's not too ahead of ourselves there honey and just see what happens." I watched as Courf turned around and signed to me.

_Can I see your phone please?_

That got a laugh out of me. When I first met him I was too scared to even speak to him so I taught him sign language.

_That depends... Will it exploded?_

He gave me a full belly laugh

_You'll just have to see won't you?_

I handed him my phone anyway and the sounds of one of my favorite covers blared through the speakers Lena Hall's Life On Mars.

"You trying to tell me something Courf?"

"Yes I am, please sing with your idol!!" I began to sing the old song that my idol had covered on her Youtube channel.

_"It's a god awful small affair to the girl with the mousy hair but her mommy is yelling no and her daddy has told her to go but her friend is nowhere to be seen now she walks through her sunken dream to the seat with the clearest view and she's hooked to the silver screen. But the film is a saddening bore 'cause she's lived it ten times or more she can spit in the eyes of fools as they ask her to focus on... Sailors fighting in the dance hall oh man, look at those cavemen go it's the freakiest show, take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy oh man wonder if he'll ever know he's in the best selling show, it's the life on mars. It's on America's tortured brow that Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow now the workers have stroke for fame because Lennon's on sale again see the mice in their million hordes from Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads rule Britannia is out of bounds to my mother, my dog, and clowns. But the films is a saddening bore cause I wrote it ten times or more it's about to writ again as I ask you to focus on... Sailor's fighting in the dance halls oh man!! Look at those cavemen go it's the freakiest show, take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy oh man!! Wonder if he'll ever know that his best selling show is the life on mars..."_

"Did you have to train your voice to sound just like her's?" Lidia asked me and I shook my head.

"No actually I didn't, I have always sung extremely well naturally. She was just the first artist that I ever really listened to and I thought 'huh I sing almost exactly like her without even really trying.' So I guess I kinda had to train after that but not really." I explained to her and smiled at the memory of a younger me obsessing over how talented she was.

"You're really talented young lady, ever think of it as a career?" Alice asked me as we pulled into Marius's driveway next.

"That's kinda my end goal in life yeah, is to end up on Broadway. Crazy dream but something I always wanted to do." I saw the trio of Marius, Cosette and Eponine come into the car next.

"Good morning all!!" Cosette said excitedly sitting in between her girlfriend and her boyfriend.

"You missed a performance from the next Lena Hall in training!!" Courf said and I kicked the back of his foot with mine.

"That'll never happen you dolt!! I'm not hungry like that..." I reminded him.

"I know you're not hungry like that, I'm just saying that you're mega talented and you shouldn't constantly think that you're not." He summed up and put on my musical playlist and the first song on their was Somewhere That's Green. I just listened to the song as we went and got the others from Ferre's house and Courf moved to the back so he could sit with his boyfriend. We also had Joly, Busset and Musichetta but I wasn't that close with them as I was with Enjolras, Lydia, Marius, Cosette and Eponine. I don't think they really noticed me all that much. The song switched to an instrumental version of one of my favorites Where Did The Rock Go from School Of Rock.

"Please sing this one?" Lidia asked me and I couldn't say no to her ever. It would probably kill me somewhere inside of me.

 _"Back when I was younger, wild and bold and free, I can still remember how the music used to be. Chords like rolling thunder, loud beyond control, every not and lyric branded right across my soul. Where did the rock go? Where's the rush of those electric guitars? Where are all those voices raised in heaven blazing down like shooting stars? Tell me where did the rock go? Where's the rattle and the roar and the buzz? Where do last years one-hit wonders go to? And what happened to the girl I was? Somehow I got older, year by busy year. Guess the songs kept playing but I didn't stop to hear. All that youth and swagger, turned to grown up doubt, as the world spun like a record and the music faded out. Where did the rock go? Where's the pounding of my drums in my veins? When did all the static fill the airwaves? When it's gone then what remains? Tell me where did the times go? Where's the joy I used to know, way back when? Where's the power and the beauty? Then the frantic end the rapture? Where's the magic of the moments only rock could ever capture? Now the only thing I'm hearing are the echo's disappearing. Sorry for the outburst. Please, I'll be okay. Let's keep this our secret. Who'd believe us anyway? Still, thanks for the reminder that there's music in me yet. Where did the rock go? All those feelings that I learned to ignore? If you flip the record and start over, does it sound the way it did b_ efore? _Where did the rock go?..."_

"No offense to you or anything Amabelle, but can't we put on some regular music? I mean I get that you love theater and it's your whole life and stuff but you shouldn't torture everyone else..." Bosset drawled from two rows behind me and I could see my brother and Enjorlas shoot him a glare as well as his boyfriend Joly our resident gender fluid who most of the time went with his feminine side. Joly I considered to be my closest friend out of the trio and she or he depending on the day taught me a lot about myself.  

"It's fine, how about some Elton John?" I heard a groan from two people two rows behind. I was getting slowly fed up with their attitude problems but took a deep breath.

"Well what kind of music do you three like?" I was rather open hearted with my taste in music and could listen to almost anything. Except for screaming music that wasn't my thing Nirvana being the exception to that rule.

"We like Nirvana." Bosset said for his partners and I smiled.

"Well lucky for you almost everyone in this car does too!! Alice hand me my phone if you please." She handed me my phone and I went scrolling through to the N's and clicked on Kurt's face.

"Any albums in particular that you guys like?"

"We haven't listened to Unplugged in a long time..." Musichetta mentioned and I smiled. My favorite, there was hope for the four of us to make  a connection yet. I put on the album and closed my eyes letting Kurt Cobain's voice wash over my senses.

"I didn't know that you were into Nirvana." Bosset said and I smiled at him.

"Well of course I am!! I don't just listen to musical theater despite what you three continue to think about me."

"We're sorry, we thought that we couldn't ever have a connection with you because you were so different from us." Joly told me and I smiled at him.

"That does make sense to me. I mean I am different, Aspergers makes me different from everybody else." I began to quietly sing along to Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam and I felt exhaustion wash over me and fell asleep on Lidia's shoulder. I awoke to Lidia gently kissing me and I sputtered.

"S-sorry didn't mean to fall asleep on you there." She laughed at me and so did everybody else.

"It's all good we were only talking trash about you anyways." Eponine told me with false sweetness and I knew she was lying.

"Gee thanks I knew you all loved me very much." We all got out of the car and stretched out our legs and looked around New York City.

"It's been a long time since we've been here..." Marius mentioned looking around at all the lights.

"It's truly the most beautiful city in the world." Cosette retorted and I agreed.

“I have dreamed of living here when I graduate from our high school. A little bit crazy I know, but a dream nonetheless.”

“If anyone in the entire world can do it sis, it’s you.” My brother put his arm through mine and I laughed at him.

“Thanks R, it’s really nothing that’s possible though…”

“Are you forgetting the girl who stole the show during every talent show and still continues to do so Every. Single. Year.” Eponine reassured me looping her arm through my arm that wasn’t holding hands with Lydia.

“Those aren’t main Broadway shows though Ep. There’s a slight difference. Most people don’t really care about school talent shows or anything.” I tried to argue with her and she simply tutted at me.

“You need to learn how to keep a compliment and stick with said compliment. Stop arguing with me.” Eponine informed as we got checked into our hotel. I was so tired at this point but knew that I should at least look and update my speech before I settled into my room with Lidia. We all found our rooms that were all on the same floor and right next to each others. I opened up my laptop and Lydia snuggled into my side. 

"I love you so much." She told me and I smiled at her. 

"I love you too Lydia more than anything in the entire world. I have to update my speech though, since my life is different now. I might text Enj too. I wanted to make sure that it was okay that I told their story as well or if it was too personal." I grabbed my phone to text my three friends with the worst backstory's just to make sure one hundred percent that they were okay with it.

_Me: Are you sure that it's okay if I use your story? I know that you already said yes, but if it's too close to home and you'd rather not I can take it out..._

_Enjorlas: I already told you that it was fine didn't I? I mean I get that you're worried about me and everything but I'm really fine with how the entire thing ended. In fact I'm insanely happy with how the entire thing ended because I get to live with you guys now and that's amazing!!_

_Joly: You have the free will to tell my story as well!! I want to see what you do with it ;) I'm out and proud and if my parents don't like it then forget about them. I get to live in the love of two and I get to dress how I want and got to go into surgery to get the body that I wanted._

_Eponine: Certainly I mean I get to live with the loves of my life what can go wrong with that??_ I opened the google doc that I shared with Enj so that he could always see any changes or adjustments that I made to my story. I went into my bag and grabbed the cupcakes. 

"You want one Lidia? My mom made them last night I would assume." I mentioned to her and she nodded her head excitedly taking a tangerine one and sighing when she bitten into it. 

"Your mom makes the best sweets in the entire world..." I heard Eponine gasp from the other room before the door was thrown open by her. 

"Give me one come on!!" I handed her one of the sweet treats while Marius and Cosset came into the room as well taking one. 

"You're best friend status has been retained." Eponine informed me before closing the door and I nearly fell over laughing. 

"Only in our friend group am I right sweetheart?" I asked my girlfriend who was still cuddling me while I looked at the doc finally and opened Enjorlas note that he had left me. 

_It's amazing!! Give this speech tomorrow and I guarantee that the audience will love you!! Do you still have to write Joly and Eponine's? How are you going to do that?_

_To be honest I have no idea but I'll do it. They want their stories told and I love them both like members of my family._

"He's an amazing friend isn't he my love?" 

"My best friend aside from you, Ep and Joly. He changed my life for the better. I'm going to go give everyone there cupcakes. You wanna come or you wanna stay?" I asked her and she stayed on the bed with my laptop. 

"I might find a movie for us to watch." She shrugged and I laughed at her. 

"Make it a good one? I asked her and she smiled at me with a laugh. 

"When have I ever picked out a bad movie?" 

"That one romcom that we had to watch for group movie night?" I reminded her and she groaned. 

"Again with that?! God it's like I can't make a mistake around you people." She said with a laugh as I headed out the door with my room key starting off with Joly, Bosset and Musicheta. I knocked on there door and thankfully Joly the only one who seemed to really love me answered the door. 

"You guys want some cupcakes? My mom baked them last night for the rally but you can have some now." I asked and he nodded excitedly taking two others for his partners. 

"How's the speech coming?" She asked me as he headed into the room to hand them the cupcakes. 

"It's going great!! I combined all of our stories mixed into one this time. That's why I asked for everyone's permission during the meeting so that it wasn't just all about me." I elaborated for them and they nodded at me. 

"Hey, thanks for putting on the Nirvana in the car. I know that we can be fucking pains in the neck for you sometimes, especially me and Sheeta, but you're a good friend and a great person." Bosset told me as he sat up with Musicheta's arms wrapped around him. 

"It's really not a big deal for me. I like to make the friends that I have happy. I know that we're all completely different people and that the only thing we all have in common is that we're all queer. I just want to help keep the friends that have stuck by my side for this long." I informed them before getting up off the floor where I had been sitting. 

"I'll leave you three alone. See you all tonight for Phantom?" I asked them and they all made sounds of appreciation at the cupcakes since they had started eating them. 

"Tell your mom she's the best baker we know!!" Joly and Musicheta told me as I laughed and closed the door. I went to the next door down being Courf and Ferre. I knocked on their door and Courf opened the door and looked at me. 

"We don't want what you're selling." Next thing I knew the door was in my face and he was laughing at me before really opening the door that time. 

"Damn you know what? You don't get any of my mom's cupcakes now." I started to walk away before I heard the sounds of Courf groveling for my mom's cupcakes. 

"That's not fair come on!! You gave some to the assholes give some to me!!" I heard the very distinct Bosset laughing tone. 

"I'm starting to regret picking this room loves, we might have neighbor problems." I was laughing too hard to hold back the tears of laughter anymore it was too damn funny. 

"Fine take your cupcakes that you want." I offered them and they each took one of the red velvet. 

"Promise you won't heckle them too much? They're just different Courf. I'm trying to make amends with them." I told them quietly and they both nodded. 

"For another cupcake." Courf offered and I gave him one being too weak for his puppy dog eyes. I moved to the next door down and Enj actually opened the door without me having to knock. 

"We heard what happened with the annoyance down the hall. Need some help with him?" Enjorlas joked knowing that his best friend was simply kidding around and I offered them cupcakes when I saw my brother sprawled out on his sketchbook drawing something. 

"No they're fine Enj. I'm just trying to remain friends with Joly Bosset and Musicheta since they're not that bad of people. They're just different and we like different things." I shrugged and went to sit on the bed with my brother and he jumped screaming slightly since he hadn't seen me at the door taking out his headphones. 

"Jesus!! Where'd you come from?!" 

"The hallway. Want one of mom's cupcakes?" I asked him and he nodded although hesitantly taking one. 

"It's not like I poisoned them!! If anyone's the evil twin you and I both know that it would be you R." I reminded him and he laughed sarcastically before giving me a hug. 

"You're pretty much the golden child. How is it that you're my older sister?" I laughed at my brother and nudged him over gently so that I could see the artwork. It was actually of me. In front of a crowd dressed in the Glinda costume from Wicked. 

"It's beautiful brother. But, you do know that I can't ever be Glinda right? I'm in no way blonde." I said gesturing to my dark hair that was the same as my brothers. 

"Hair doesn't matter you know? I think that you would be the perfect Glinda." Enjorlas advised coming to sit by me and my brother. 

"I know it doesn't. She would be such a dream role though. I love her personality and her development." I mentioned to them getting up off the bed. 

"I should get back to Lidia. She's probably wondering if Courf abducted me for my mom's cupcakes." I joked as I left my brother and his boyfriend alone in the room. I walked down the hall again and into my room using my door key. Lidia was still there on the bed and she smiled at me. She came up to em wrapping her arms around my neck. She gave me a sweet and soft kiss that I absolutely melted into. When she pulled back she lead me over to the bed where we had Treasure Planet waiting on standby. 

"I love this movie!!" I exclaimed pressing the play button while cuddling with my girlfriend. After the movie I heard knocking at the door. 

"Hey lovey-dovey!! It's dinnertime!!" I heard Joly call out to us as I laced up sneakers with a smile as Lidia took my hand. We opened the door and saw all of our friends standing outside. 

"All right gang's all here. It's Shake Shack time bitches!!" Courf screamed leading the way as all of us laughed at him. 

"You know something Lidia, I think that your younger brother is mental." Bosset mentioned his insult lacking the heat to it and Lidia laughed at him. 

"What can I tell you Boss he was dropped on his head as a young child from a very high height?" Lidia informed him with a shrug as we all laughed at her. 

"Wouldn't surprise me honestly. I mean who lies about being sick?" Joly asked catching up to her boyfriend and girlfriend with her in the middle of them. 

"Apparently my brother. Still sorry about that by the way." She apologized and Joly laughed. 

"No need. I think I got my revenge pretty handsomely." 

"Baby you punched him square in the nose." Bosset reminded her and Musicheta laughed at her partners. 

"Hey you can't tell me the moron didn't have it coming to him." Joly mentioned and I nodded. 

"Can I ask you three a question? Not to be rude or anything but why are you suddenly talking to me?  I mean aside from you Joly I thought you two hated me...." I admitted and they all looked at each other then at me. 

"Oh honey no they never disliked you in the slightest. They've been a bunch of assholes to you. I can say for one that I'm really sorry." Joly comforted and his partners both nodded their heads at me. 

"I'm really sorry about that Ama we didn't mean to make you feel that way. We'd like a restart if you would allow us." Bosset offered and Musicheta nodded her head agreeing with her boyfriends. 

"Besides we need to learn to be better people I think. We're so dependent on each other that sometimes and we don't mean to do this we don't pay as much attention to the people around us." I smiled at them and we arrived at our Shake Shack just outside of our hotel to get our food that Alice insisted on paying for as we all found our bench's outside the restaurant. 

"I accept your friendship proposal. I'm not the best at friendship but since joining this crazy group of psycho's I've been much more sociable." We all shared a laugh as Enjorlas came handing me my favorite strawberry smoothie. 

"What flavor did you get?" Joly asked me as Bosset came back juggling three of them. 

"Strawberry, it's my favorite." I replied with a smile. 

"That one's mine too. I'm not much of a chocolate person." 

"Same!! It used to give me migraines when I was a child so since then I've sworn against the stuff. Fruit is better for me." I shrugged with a laugh as my sandwich got dropped off. Grantaire and Enjorlas came to our bench as well to sit on the other side of me while Courf, Ferre, Marius, Cosset and Eponine all got in our massive table as well. Alice went back to the hotel to continue to rest. 

"What is your favorite Disney movie?" Musicheta asked me and I laughed at her. 

"I could have sworn that if you three knew anything about me then you would at least know this. My favorite Disney movies are Beauty And The Beast, Great Mouse Detective and Lion King. All from kind of the same era but I love them all the same. What about the three of you?" I asked them back politely as I saw Grantaire smiled at me for the fact that I was getting to know his friends. 

"Mine's actually more of a classic one as you know, I love Bambi." Joly admitted and I smile at her popping a french fry into my mouth as Bosset went next. 

"Mine's Beauty And The Beast as well, the classic animated one. Not the cluster fuck that we got this year don't even get me started." I started to laugh at him and gave him a high five for good taste. 

"Mine is Princess And The Frog. Tiana is my role model in terms of animation and favorite characters." Musicheta said with a smile at me as I began to eat my sandwich. 

"What about favorite childhood television? I don't think any of you know mine actually aside from you Taire you don't count." I offered the next topic of conversation and they all smiled at me. 

"We all had the same one pretty much since we three grew up together. The one that we would always race home after school to watch at one another's house was Suite Life Of Zach And Cody." Joly informed me and I chuckled. Lidia went next. 

"Mine was so clearly Hannah Montana it's ridiculous." I laughed at my girlfriend as Enjorlas went next. 

"Alright guys laugh it up now, mine was The Wiggles." I got a good laugh out of that one and so did everybody else including Enjorlas himself as he stuck his tongue out at us. 

"Both mine and Grantaire's was the exact same show, it was Kim Possible." I told them and they all gave me smiles. 

"That was another that we would always watch together." Musicheta reminded her partners and they nodded as I finished my sandwich. I moved onto my fries that I had ranch with. 

"Leave me alone alright, I can't stand the taste of ketchup!! It's disgusting!!" They all started to laugh at me as I rolled my eyes at them and  I laughed at them too. 

"Alright so other than Nirvana is there any other artists that you guys are really big fans of? Just for future reference and because I really love discovering new sorts of music." I offered them the next question and they all grinned at me. 

"It's actually the polar opposite of Kurt Cobain, but we actually really do love Elton John. We were just teasing you all these years." My eyes widened in shock before I started to laugh in sheer surprise as we all got up to go to the theater next. We stopped by the Willy Wonka factory where they put on the musical. I pressed the button and it lit up like a thousand stars and Lidia and Joly both stopped since Joly's arm was linked through mine. 

"Whoa that's super cool!!" Bosset exclaimed as bubbles began to come out of the machine and It Must Be Believed To Be Seen started to play through the outside speakers. 

"Alright that's amazing. Let's keep the line moving though. All the others have left ahead of us." Musicheta warned us as Joly linked her arm through mine. She was feeling more feminine today with a really cute pastel dress on and white leggings. 

"I was wondering, do you know what you're wearing tomorrow? I wanted to make you a flower crown to match your outfit." Joly asked me and I smiled at her. 

"It's my light blue dress with the white fringe. Remember? The one that you threatened to steal from my closet?" Joly started to laugh with a bright smile as I could see the cogs working in her brain. 

"Hey that dress was divine okay?! I remember you bought me one just like it for my birthday last year." I remembered that day too. It had been the first year that Joly had moved in with Bosset's family because her own kicked her out for wanting to be a girl and for wanting to be in a polyamorous relationship with his two best friends from childhood. I knew that year had been really hard on Joly so I threw her a surprise birthday party that day. I went out of my way to find her a dress that was nearly identical to the one that I had but in a black color with red fringe since she wanted to be more the punk rock type of genderfluid. 

"Yeah that was a great day. I know that we've never really thanked you for all that you've done for Joly. So thank you and we're going to try harder to be your friends too." Musicheta noted and I nodded with a chuckle. 

"You guys don't need to really thank me, Joly's one of my best friends in the entire world so I just did it to help her out through that tough time like she did when my father left us." I reminded them and we stopped outside of the Majestic Theater all decked out in Phantom lure awesomeness.  We all took our seats me next to Enjorlas and Lidia with Joly on the other side of her practically bouncing up and down as her partners tried to calm her. This was her all time favorite show. I loved taking her to see it more than any of the others strictly for her amount of excitement beforehand. As the lights dimmed and the show began Joly stilled eyes alight with wonder at being this close. See, Joly was one of our lead dancers in our theater productions in high school. She loved to dance and loved watching dance. As the show ended and we all went back to our rooms Joly gave me a hug before going into her room. 

"Are you going to finish writing me and Ep into your speech?" She asked me and I nodded. 

"Yep it'll be there tomorrow. All of it. I have a decent idea of how to write it now. Though I'll admit to being stumped earlier on before dinner and the show." She giggled at me before waving and going to obviously make my flower crown. I loved Joly's flower crowns because she made them specifically for that person. I opened the door and Lidia instantly went to get and get her pajama's on as I did mine as well and got under the covers with my laptop already typing away at the ideas that were brewing in the back of my head. 

"And there's my version of Alexander Hamilton already writing away." I laughed at my girlfriend and scoffed. 

"I'm nowhere near that good of a writer. Now Enjorlas that's an Alexander Hamilton in the making right there." I joked as she cuddled into my side. 

"I love you so much." She told me and I smiled before kissing her goodnight. 

* * *

 

"I love you too Lidia more than anything in the entire world." She fell asleep her head on the pillow whilst her arms were around me. I began to write and didn't stop until nearly midnight just perfecting everything. I woke up to my alarm at seven am. I had to be at the park in three hours for the rally. 

"Morning my love." Lidia said as she nuzzled my cheek and I laughed at her. 

"Morning love." I sighed before getting up and stretching. I checked my laptop to see what Enjorlas thought of it. 

_Brilliant!! This is so good, like on my levels of good. Joly will love it, she was so adorable yesterday._

_I know she was. She's always been a sucker for that show. I love her like my pure little sister._

"You finished it?" Lidia asked me as she wrapped her arms around me. 

"Yeah around midnight last night since I wanted it to be perfectly accurate to their lives. Especially Joly since she's been through so much in seventeen years." 

"But she's come out even stronger because of you. I'm proud of the effort that Bosset and Sheeta are putting in to understand you." 

"They're really not that bad. I actually really like them when they're not teasing me." I noted as we got out of bed and I fixed my hair. I left it unbraided since Joly had the flower crown probably already made. I put on my dress with the white leggings that were half cut and a light sweater that Joly had actually given me. I did my normal morning routine until I heard a knock at the door. I went to answer it because Lidia was still in the shower. It was Joly and she was dressed in the dress that I had given her with tears in her eyes. 

"Joly? What's wrong? Is something the matter?" I was in instant best friend slightly panic mode. 

"No nothings wrong you perfect person you!! I read the speech that you wrote me." I remembered now. I had sent both Eponine and Joly the speech when I had finished it at twelve this morning. 

"Oh sorry went into unneeded panic mode." I giggled at her as she handed me the item that she was hiding behind her back. It was the flower crown that she had made for me. It was white, light purple and a light blue combination. 

"Joly this is beautiful!!" She put it on my hand and I heard Lidia come out of the shower. At the same time I heard crying coming from next door. 

"And Eponine's just started reading it." Joly thought out loud and I laughed at her. 

"Did you show it your partners yet?" I asked her and she shook her head. 

"They're still sleeping right now. I should go wake them up. I'll see you in a couple of minutes? I think we're all doing breakfast in the restaurant downstairs." Joly mentioned to me and I smiled at her and I nodded. 

"Yeah go wake up those lazy asses that you call your partners. See you in a few. Thanks again Joly." I thanked her giving her a hug as she strutted back down the hall using her key to get inside the room. Lidia came out of the bathroom wearing a bright pink shirt with a blue skirt. 

"I see that Joly was here. She's really outdone herself this time!! That one's beautiful." She kissed my face as I giggled at her. I heard the door slam open that connected the room to the next door room. Eponine came rushing over to me and I was engulfed by her hug not an instant later. She was full on ugly crying. 

"You're an amazing writer!! You told my story so perfectly. I'm so honored that you picked my story." Eponine pulled back and rested her head on my shoulder. 

"I'm glad that you think so Ponine, Joly came in here with a very similar story." I told her and she gave me one more hug. 

"You're an amazing friend, a boss ass bitch and a flawless human being. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise ever again." Eponine advised me before going back to her loves and closing the door. 

"I love our friends..." I noted as I put on my silver flats that Joly had given to me all those years ago. 

"I love them too. Especially Eponine and Joly. They are so optimistic despite everything that they've been through." I nodded at my girlfriend as we headed down to breakfast where we ran into Joly, Bosset and Musicheta all crying. 

"I take it that you just read my speech?" I was in a massive embrace not a moment later as my girlfriend laughed slightly. 

"I take back everything that I have said that you took the wrong way... You're an amazing human being and I'm sure that everybody else will be telling you as such this afternoon. I have never read something that is that honest yet tragically beautiful in the same light." Bosset told me as I smiled at them. 

"I'm glad that you're all happy with what I wrote. I may or may not have been up until midnight last night trying to perfect it." I rubbed at my eyes while Joly took my arm and I took Lidia's hand to go down the elevator. 

"Honestly though you wrote a really beautiful speech. I'm sure that there won't be a dry in the house that shows up today. I'll probably cry again." Musicheta told me with a watery laugh. 

"Oh I'll definitely be crying again. And don't downscale your's. You're father was the biggest prick that I have had the pleasure of meeting aside from my old man." Joly told me with a grimace. 

"I'm so sorry that happened, and I know that I've said it thousands of times Jol but I'm still sorry." 

"Don't apologize. I'm happier now then I ever was inside that dark coffin of a house." Joly told me with a bright smile that masked all the pain that she had inside of her probably. 

"I see that Joly gave you the flower crown, she was up almost all night making that." I gave my best friend a hug simply for thankfulness. 

"Thanks for always sticking around. I know that I can be a bit of a piece of work sometimes." Joly laughed at my statement. 

"You a piece of work? I'll believe that never. You're by a long shot the sweetest girl that I've ever met besides you Sheeta. You're always around when I need you to be around. If anything sometimes I'm the horrible best friend because I get so wrapped up in my love life that I forget about you..." 

"But you always come back and then our friendship continues to grow from there." I reminded her with a bump to the hip as the doors of the elevator opened and we arrived at the restaurant where all of our friends were waiting. Lidia sat on my left side and this time instead of Enjorlas I got Joly. Enj was on the other side of Lidia. 

"Here's the lady of the day!!" My brother cheered for me and I flushed. 

"I'm already nervous. Will you please stop rubbing it in?" I asked my friends and Joly turned to me and signed to me. 

 _Don't be scared or nervous about what could go wrong. If you keep thinking like that you're never going to learn anything._ I smiled at my best friend. 

_Have I ever told you that you are wiser than you seem Jols?_

_Often but I just want you to know that I'm always going to be on your side._ I hugged my best friend again as the water came by for our drinks and most of them got coffee except for me who got a hot chocolate. 

"You'll do amazing Ama, you worked your ass off on that speech." Eponine complimented and I grinned over at my best girlfriend. 

"Alright let's change the subject please I can tell that she's getting even more nervous. Do you all have your posters ready to carry?" They all nodded their heads excitedly. 

"Yep, made sure that was the first thing that I packed inside of my suitcase." Cosette told us as the drinks came and me and we all ordered. I started to get super nervous and didn't speak again after that for the entire breakfast. My palms were sweating and I felt Lidia take one of them and frown at me. 

"Why are you still nervous?" She asked me and I started to panic and everything came rushing out at once. 

"We have a lot riding on this what if my speech isn't very good? I'm telling stories that mostly aren't mine can you really do that and call it a speech? What if I go up there and forget what I wrote last night? What if my voice cracks? What if Enjorlas never takes me seriously ever again-" I was shut up by Lidia pressing her lips to mine effectively making me forget what I was saying. 

"Don't be scared just breathe. It's just like when you're on the stage. You're never nervous when you do that right?" Joly comforted once we all finished breakfast. 

"I guess you're right Joly let's get down there. The protest will start soon." I said as we all walked across the street to the park where people where already standing there with signs and posters. 

"Are you the Les Amis de ABC?" One of the coordinators asked me in particular. 

"Yes ma'am. I'm Amabelle Jennings the co-fonder." I introduced myself to her and she nodded. 

"I remember you now, I saw one of your protests a few years ago. Really played to the emotional appeal. People should start showing up in about five minutes. Be ready." She ordered and I went to the stage where I saw a grand piano. 

"Is that supposed to be there?" I asked the lady working there and she nodded. 

"Your friends said that you get anxious rather easily and just having the comfort of a piano in proximity is useful. Though I don't know... Are you going to use it?" 

"Yes please if you don't mind ma'am. I have the perfect song planned out right now." I smiled as all the people began to show up. It was a far larger crowd then I was used to. 

"Welcome to the LGBTQ protest!! We have one main speaker signed up for the morning. She's the co-founder of the Les Amis de ABC a group of queers who set out to make their small town different and think in a different way." The coordinator announced as I stood up from where Lidia was holding my hand and all my friends were in the front row. I took some deep breaths before I got up to the stage and the crowd applauded for me as I got up there. 

"As Emmi mentioned I am the cofounder of the Les Amis de ABC. It's a group that my best friend Enjorlas and I created so that maybe our friends that we all had wouldn't feel so alone anymore. All of my friends are a constant inspiration to me and helping me be stronger than I was before. Three of my best friends have been through hell in a handbasket and came out some of the strongest women and men that I have ever met. My first story belong's to two people me and my younger twin brother Grantaire or R as his nickname is. I was born five minutes before he was. We have the most amazing, strong-willed, inspiring mother. But our father for all pretense was a homophobic asshole that got nothing done. I met the girl that I fell in love with when I was six and she forever changes my life every single day. R meet the boy that he fell in love with by crashing into him literally. We kept our gayness a secret at least I did because I didn't have enough confidence at the time to back it up. That was when I met my best friend Enjorlas the master of words and confidence. He helped me by planning out exactly how to come out at least to my mother and keeping it a secret from my father. But during my speech my dad walked into the room. He was livid and started to yell at me. Calling me a sinner, that I was living in god's hatred all that typical nonsense. He packed a bag that night and left. That factor left me broken for a really long time. However, I was lifted up by my other club members and friends as one by one, good or bad they all came out of the closet. A lot of them ended with acceptance. Some of us however were left hanging by the wayside and three of us even kicked out of our own homes. My best friends in the entire world Enjorlas, Eponine and Joly all had to pack up and leave their homes and come to live with either one or both of their boyfriends. Both Enjorlas and Joly came from a rich family. Enjorlas's parents pretty much own the biggest house in our small town in Jersey. For years his parents knew since he wanted to set an example for us. He had to be the very first to come out. I tried to talk him out of it since I wanted to do it first because I was ready. I was also really worried since I knew what kind of rich people his parents were the stuck-up, sticks up their asses kind of rich people. He did it anyway's and it went about as good as I thought that it would. They still 'allowed' him to stay in their home though since he wasn't completely gay yet and could still be changed. Until this summer he was still living in that house.  From then on his parents used him. Casted him aside unless they needed for a gathering of some sort. They would ignore him otherwise. This summer I had finally had it up to here with the pinning coming from both my brother and my best friend. I made a plan to get Enjorlas and R together not knowing or maybe just not thinking of the consequences that would come. They got together but that night proved to be one of the hardest I think for Enj. That night I get this text from him telling me that he needed me to come and get him from his house because his parents had kicked him out. I marched to the Peruvaire house in a huff that night my brother trailing behind me so that I could yell at the parents of my best friend. And boy did I yell at them for being so ignorant and foolish that they thought being gay was a bad thing. Because it's not, it's totally not a bad thing. In fact it's the most amazing thing in the entire world. That's what my best friend Joly taught me. I met Joly when she was still a he back in elementary school. We instantly clicked because he was still into girly things even back then. When we reached middle school he went through a full one eighty. He asked me one day if I could take him shopping for a dress to wear to school the next day. He was going to change at school into said dress. At first I was more than a little bit apprehensive about the whole idea since our town is far from current we're more backwards than current. I still did it for him though, because I felt that it needed to be done and he was there for me when my father left me. I took him shopping the next day and bought this black dress with white hearts on it. That was her first dress. When she changed though, some bullies caught on to her. They were pretty much beating her to a pulp and I found her and stood in front of her. I told those bullies to back the hell off that she was my best friend and that I would love her all the same man or woman despite how you dressed. It's just clothing and that's really all. Those bullies in retaliation pushed me down the stairs breaking both my leg and my arm along with three of ribs. Joly called a teacher to get me to a hospital. I remember when I woke up in that hospital, Joly was there at my bedside crying. Telling me that he was so sorry for all the trouble that he had caused. I told him at the time that those things never truly mattered. As long as he loved himself who would they be to judge a person. Three years later he came out to his parents as genderfluid at the time, pansexual and polyamorous. All at the same time. That's how brave I think she is. Her parents of course were pissed as all hell, being the rich biggity people that they were. I wasn't able to stand up for him at the time because she didn't want to cause confrontation. She went to her partners Bosset and Musicheta. They protected her along with me. I felt this overwhelming power to protect and love her like my little sister. He decided two years ago to undergo the full transformation, were all there for her. The surgery went very successful and my once best guy friend became the best girlfriend that I could ever ask for. She's the strongest women that I have ever met in my entire life. Aside from one more woman. My third best girlfriend Eponine. Her story's probably the hardest one for me to retell because as much as she downplays what her parents did to her I think that she's still suffering from that pain that will be a forever factor in her life. Eponine was born to two very corrupt individuals who ran an inn in the bad side of our hometown. They were ugly, mean spirited and constantly belittling to her. When she came out to them, they started to... beat her. They beat her up something awful. One of the neighbors had to call child services. They came to arrest her parents and Ponine was out in the world without parents. Her little brother Gavroche was put into foster care and she could do nothing to stop them. She made a promise to him. When she turned eighteen which she will in December that she would adopt him as her own son until he got old enough to survive on his own. She now is living with her partners two of the kindest people on the face of the planet Marius and Cosette. All my friends, they all mean something to me. We hoist each other up but most of the time, they are my backbone for most of the decisions that I make in terms of standing up for people like us. I wouldn't be here without any of them. So I'm here saying we have to lift each other up!! We can no longer lay down like dogs and we have to stand up for what we believe in!!" I gave me speech to a standing ovation of cheers and I looked out and saw everybody in the audience was crying. Joly was in the front row cheering me on whilst tears were pouring down her face. 

"I have one song for all of you that I believe is the anthem of my life practically. It's from a movie called The Greatest Showman. We have a motto that me and Enjorlas stole from the movie that we try to live by it's from the song A Million Dreams. It's  _I think of what the world could be a vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it's gonna take. A million dreams for the world we're gonna make._ But that's not the song that I'm going to play. I have decided that the song that I'm going to play is a song called This Is Me. A song that Joly was actually the first one to send me because she wanted me to learn how to play it on the piano." I began to play the song that my best friend thought was her anthem and the reason why she was so positive about how her life had turned out. 

  _“I am not a stranger to the dark hide away, they say ‘cause we don’t want your broken parts. I’ve learned to be ashamed of  all my scars run away, they say, no one will love you as you are. But I won’t let them break me down to dust I know that there is a place for us for we are glorious. When the sharpest words want me to cut me down I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. I am brave, I am bruised I am who I’m meant to be. Lookout ‘cause here I come and I’m marching to the beat of my own drum. I’m not scared to be seen I make no apologies. Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh. Another round of bullets hits my skin well, fire away, ‘cause today, I won’t let the shame sink in. We are bursting above the barricades, and reaching for the sun we are warriors. Yeah that’s what we’ve become. Won’t let them break me down to dust I know there’s a place for us for we are glorious. When the sharpest words want to cut me down gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I’m meant to be, this is me. Lookout, ‘cause here I come and I’m marching to the beat of my own dream. I’m not scared to be seen, I make no apologies this is me. Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh. This is me. And I know that I deserve your love there’s nothing I’m not worthy of. When the sharpest words want to cut me down, gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. This is brave, this is bruised, this is who I’m meant to be, this is me. Look out ‘cause here I come and I’m marching to the beat of my own drum. I’m not scared to be seen I make no apologies this is me!!"_ As I finished the chorus again I heard the audience start to sing it with me and I got up off the piano to hearing applause that made me feel like I was on top of the world as I grabbed my sign and went down to give Joly a hug as she was already rushing towards me tears in her eyes. 

"You did amazing!! I'm so proud of you!!" She took my arm and I took Lidia's hand ready to start the march. 

"You know what Joly? So am I." I told her as I thought about how happy I was to be in this moment. My best friend happily on my left and my amazing girlfriend on my right. I hoped that in these moments we needed to be together and I was so happy that we were together. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again!! I have always wanted to create a fanfic in the universe of this musical since it was one of the first that ever truly changed me as a person. This is a story that I have been thinking about for a really long time and I love writing so much I figured let's make it a reality. Another story means another OC named Amabelle or Lovable, she's like all of my other OC's to the point where she is on the spectrum like myself because the universe needs more females that have Aspergers. There are quirks that make her different though as you'll soon find out.


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